The year is 2022, and moving to the middle of a desert is no longer a problem. “But there is no water!” you could argue. You would be, in most cases, absolutely right. But a recent Czech invention will prove you wrong, and it might entice you to move to the Sahara Desert. S.A.W.E.R., standing for Solar Air Water Earth Resources, is a groundbreaking invention conceived at Czech Technical University in Buštěhrad, Czechia.
S.A.W.E.R.: Harnessing the power of the sun
S.A.W.E.R. is a large electricity-powered silver box with an auxiliary battery box and water storage tanks. “Hey, there is no electricity in the desert! How can it work then?” We hear you scream. Again, you are both right and wrong. There is no electricity in the desert, but that is no problem for S.A.W.E.R. There is an array of solar panels capable of both powering the unit and saving spare electricity to battery boxes included with each unit.
S.A.W.E.R.and its other components are easily transportable. That is because you can fill all its parts in two shipping containers. These standard containers, utilized worldwide, can be transported on ships, trucks, or helicopters. So while you are unpacking in the middle of the desert, the helicopter can deliver you a much-needed water source.
You probably asked, “How does it even work then?” We are glad you did. To put it simply, it creates water out of desert air. In more expert terms, S.A.W.E.R. works on the principle of continuous adsorption and desorption of trace air humidity present in the desert sand. As the inventors themselves describe it: “Its main part is the sorption unit with a desiccant exchanger that allows for dehumidification even of air with low content of water vapor that can be found in desert conditions.
Extracted water molecules accumulated in desiccant are then released at high temperatures to a smaller amount of air to increase its humidity. High humidity from the air then condenses on the built-in cooler in the unit as liquid water. This way, it is also possible to get water in desert conditions where ordinary condensing coolers do not produce any.” S.A.W.E.R. later mineralizes created water using the Mineralizator unit that transforms distilled water into fresh drinkable water.
But does it actually work?
Let us switch gears from theory to practice. The test trials of S.A.W.E.R.took place in the desert of the United Arab Emirates, where it produced 700 liters of drinkable water per day. After trial runs, Czech Republic Pavilion at Dubai EXPO World Fair 2020 introduced S.A.W.E.R. as the main exhibit. After software and hardware updates, S.A.W.E.R. produced 1000 liters of drinkable water daily!
There are no limits to what you can do with S.A.W.E.R. water. You can drink it, cook, shower, or use it for irrigation and try to grow something in the desert. That’s another significant part of S.A.W.E.R.; Algae Generator. The generator enriches the drinkable water for nutritious algae, which then serves as food for the plants and crops. That allows you to plant and grow whatever you like in the desert.
In the end, S.A.W.E.R. will help you to create an oasis in the middle of the desert. You can use the necessary share of 1000 liters for drinking, and the rest can serve as an irrigation source for your food. Simply put, you start with S.A.W.E.R., and you end up with drinking water and crops.
With water becoming a scarce resource on Earth, mass production of S.A.W.E.R. could prevent catastrophic events like further desertification, mass migration to water-rich areas, and soil depletion. And all it took were three men with a simple idea:” Let’s create water from desert air!”
